What Can & Cannot Go Down the Drain

Have you given your drains any thought recently? If you’re like most homeowners, chances are you simply send the water down and don’t give it a second thought. Yet drains perform an important function in your home, and they need a little bit of attention to keep them working properly. Otherwise, you can end up with a clog that is difficult to handle, leaving you with backed-up or slow-moving drains. Here’s a closer look at some do’s and don’ts of taking care of your drains.

Can You Pour Alcohol Down the Drain?

Whether you’re cleaning up after a party from last night or simply pouring out a beer in disgust, a lot of alcohol gets poured down our sink pipes at an alarmingly high rate. For the most part, it is OK. If the substance is at a concentration of less than 24%, then no harm should come to your septic system or the environment. Only when the concentration is higher should you discard the alcohol in a different manner. Check the concentration of the substance and be sure to follow the rules. As a rule of thumb, you can pour around two bottles of alcohol down the drain without hurting your septic system or the environment. Try pacing the number of bottles you pour per day when you need to discard more than two bottles.

Can You Pour Grease & Oil Down the Drain?

Overall, grease isn’t good for your drains. Most of us know that grease or oils are bad for the system, but many are not aware that if the concentration is below 500 mg, then it is OK. Only when the concentration is higher than this should the excess grease or oil be disposed of in the normal trash. Do not put it down the pipe, or your pipes are at risk of clogging.

Can You Put Eggshells & Coffee Grinds Down the Drain?

We decided to put these two together since they so often are both seen at breakfast. We often get people asking if it is OK to put their leftover breakfast food down the sink. The answer is absolutely never. You might get away with it once, but chances are you won’t. These things are not good for the system and can cause backups, overflows, and other sorts of nasty problems that will have us at your doorstep a lot more often than you want.

For Drain Services, Trust Mattioni Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, Inc.

If you have made any of these drain care mistakes, or if you are noticing that your drains are running slowly, the team at Mattioni Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, Inc. is ready to assist. We have licensed plumbers with the right tools to inspect your drains, including the use of camera inspections, to find the root of the problem. With visual evidence, we can easily address the problem and provide a workable repair solution.

Schedule a consultation today to learn more about our drain cleaning and inspection services at Mattioni Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, Inc.